If you’re old enough to remember a topless Fergie’s 1992 toe-sucking Texan scandal in St-Tropez – while the Duchess of York was still married to Prince Andrew – you’ll recall the somewhat cringe-worthy tabloid photos of said hot foot lovin’.

The photos, which showed American financial manager John Bryan with a mouth full of one of Fergster’s feet while they holidays and canoodled by the pool in full view of the world (and Fergie and Andrew’s toddler daughters) in southern France, were first splashed across British tabloids.

And the Queen was not amused – the Duchess is said to have been at Balmoral with the rest of the royal family when the story broke, with Her Majesty effectively banishing Fergie from the royal household henceforth.

Whether this was due to the Duchess’ refusal to toe the line (pardon the pun) or the royals’ horror at the said foot fetishism, I guess we’ll never know, but public toe-sucking has arguably suffered a tarnished public image ever since.

However, fast forward some 20 plus years and foot fetishism (er, arguably best celebrated in the privacy of your own home) is seemingly now so popular, it’s virtually cool. However, it does seem to be more popular among men.

Famous foot fetishists who’ve gone on the record of late include perennial-cool singer/songwriter Pharrell Williams, actor Jack Black, singer Ricky Martin and director Quentin Tarantino.

What’s more, Elvis himself is arguably one of the best known foot fetishists, with a well-documented obsession, allegedly as a result of having to massage his mother’s feet as a child – shudder. There’s some serious Oedipus complex going on there! And The King’s handlers are even said to have screened the rock’n’roll icon’s female love interests on the basis of their feet attractiveness, er as you do.

While foot fetishism is nothing new – indeed, it’s the most common form of sexual fetish related to the body – it’s certainly not something I’d personally encountered prior to the advent of social media. You see, I recently joined Instagram and wow, what an eye-opener it was for me when I recently innocently posted several random pictures of my feet post-pedicure, one of my favourite beauty indulgences.

A recent such pic I posted got a lot of attention from said foot fetishists in Insta-land: countless pervy comments and requests this time to both share and repost said pic to others in the foot-worshipping community. In addition, it gained me no less than nine new foot fetishist followers?! What rock had I been living under? Was foot fetishism really that much of a thing? Apparently so!

Foot worship, or podophilia, is a pronounced sexual interest in feet. For a foot fetishist, attractive traits include the shape and size of the foot and toes; foot jewellery, such as toe rings and ankle bracelets; treatments, such as pedicures or massaging; state of dress, such as barefoot and/or thongs; odour, and/or sensory interaction such as smelling, licking, kissing, tickling and biting the foot.

As we all know, it takes a lot of different types to make the world go ‘round and if feet (mine included) blow your hair back, I say go for it, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone.

The hilarious part for me though, and I mean no disrespect to said foot fetishists, is that my feet are my least favourite body part; indeed my right foot has been damaged beyond repair by years of high-heel abuse. I’ve even got a small bunion, for God’s sake! Are bunions hot?!

Sydney sexologist, Dr Michelle Mars (pictured), who specialises in the sociology of sex gender and sexual well-being, says foot fetishism is so popular, in part, because feet are fairly non-offensive.

“One reason we hear about foot fetishes so much is that as far as fetishes go they are quite vanilla; it’s okay to admit you have a foot fetish in comparison to BDSM [bondage and discipline, domination and submission, sadism and masochism] or being into golden showers, for example,” Dr Mars says.

“It can be a submissive act for men and they can enact that without going too far down the submissive path and compromising their masculinity.

“Feet are accessible. There are lots of options, toes, shoes, stockings… And the options are often elegant.

“In addition, feet are an area of the body with lots of nerve endings!”

And while feet aren’t my thing, shoes are another story altogether…

What do you think? Have you ever encountered foot fetishism in a partner?

Most men are reluctant about using condoms, but we have a naughty little skill which may be just the thing to change his mind. Hey, if you have to use them, you may as well use them to your advantage, right! Give him a treat and apply it with your mouth. It’s highly recommended for oral sex as well as intercourse.

With so many varieties and flavors on the market, why not have a bit of fun with them. It’s a lot like turning the humble condom into a playful little sex toy. Go for a flavored variety and add your own edible lube otherwise you will end up with a really awful taste in your mouth. There’s nothing sexy about a mouth full of sickly tasting goo!

Now, don’t assume this is going to be easy. You’ll need to practice so grab some cheap condoms because you’ll probably rip a few. There’s a real art to it. After you’ve mastered it, then you can experiment with different varieties. If you start by using ribbed ones, you’ll probably be a bit out of your league. Keep it simple and work toward the tricky stuff later. Seriously, don’t forget edible lube. This makes the condom much easier to apply and provides extra sensitivity for him.

Step-by-step guide

1. Use your hands to take the condom out of the wrapper. Ripping it open with your teeth can puncture it. Yeah, it’s sexy, but it’s a no-no.

2. Unroll it slightly, taking notice of which way it’s unrolling. It needs to unroll as you lower your mouth, so make sure you have it the right way round. Practice this before you put it in your mouth because if it’s the wrong way around, you’ll have to start again.

3. Apply some lube to your lips, inside the tip of the condom and to the tip of your man’s penis. Like we said it does make it easier to apply and make it more sensitive for him, plus it prevents it from breaking.

4. Pinch the tip before you put it in your mouth. If you place it snugly over the top of his penis, there will be nowhere for the semen to go later.

5. This is when you put it in your mouth. This image should help you understand the positioning.

6. Suck the tip in slightly and hold it in place by putting it behind your teeth using your tongue.

7. Now that you have it in place, lower your mouth to the head of his penis. You can use a hand to hold his penis so you are in charge of what’s going on.

8. In one swift motion, lower your mouth so the condom unrolls over his penis. Your lips will basically do the work as you lower your mouth. This motion should unroll the condom and position it correctly. Make sure you keep hold of the tip to keep it empty.

9. Use your tongue to flatten the tip of the condom onto the tip of his penis, leaving room for his ejaculation.

10. Position the condom properly using your mouth and tongue, should it not be sitting correctly.

11. If this isn’t working, use your other hand to position it correctly.

12. Add more lube and you are done!

This will get easier with practice. You might find a way that works better for you, because it is a bit tricky keeping the tip in your mouth as you unroll it with your lips. If you find it gets stuck, add more lube.

Try to keep your teeth out of it. Some people use their teeth to unroll it or position it, but when you use your teeth there is a much greater chance of ripping it.

Lastly, give him plenty of eye contact throughout the entire process. Position yourself so he can see what’s going on. Men enjoy visual stimulation, so make a performance and you’ll never have any protest using condoms ever again!

If you are always on the look out for new ways to improve your sex life, you really need to be in on the secret of sexual scents. Those in the know have been sniffing their way to great sex for years and it’s about time you joined them! Much like gender specific pheromones which attract the opposite sex, different fragrances, aromas and scents do much the same thing and are well known natural aphrodisiacs.

It’s important to know the basic science behind scent and sexual enhancement to make it work best for you. Particular scents provoke memories. This is because these systems in our brains are interconnected. It’s the memories which can put us in a positive or negative mood. If a woman is in a positive mood, she becomes more receptive to attraction and advances. Simple isn’t it. The same can be said of men, plus some scents promote blood flow which improves sexually physical responses, like erections. Obviously it’s much more involved, but that’s the basics.

Now, before we go into which smells are recommended, please keep in mind that a bulk of the research is out of the USA. This may explain why Pumpkin Pie seems to rate so highly. If studies were confined to Australians smells like the beach maybe more prevalent. That’s why understanding the science can help you tailor particular aromas which work better for different people.

First up we have a gender divided chart created by Dr Alan Hirsch, a neurologist and psychiatrist. He operates the Smell & Taste Research and Treatment Foundation in Chicago and also developed the science of aromachology, which is the study of how odor impacts mood and human behavior.

For women, Hirsch recommends the following scents in order of potency:

Licorice or cucumber

Lavender or pumpkin pie spice

Baby powder and chocolate

Women’s perfume

For men, Hirsch recommends the following scents in order of potency:

Lavender and pumpkin pie spice

Licorice and doughnut

Pumpkin pie spice and doughnut

Orange

Lavender and doughnut

Licorice and cola

Licorice

Doughnut and cola

Buttered popcorn

Cranberry

Now, Hirsch is an American researcher. Notice the items on these lists are related to his culture which may provoke positive memories as well as enhance blood flow? It’s not that his list isn’t valid to Aussies, but be mindful of how scent effects memories, emotion and sex.

Below are more generic scents which can be found world wide. If you are after a particular sexual response like assistance maintaining an erection or making sex last longer, use these specific scents and try them out.

Black pepper

Black Pepper is meant to increase stamina and strength. Great for anyone wanting their man to last longer.

Clary sage

It has a musky, woody, sweet scent which is especially helpful for women with sexual dysfunctions such as low libido, as it reduces anxiety, increases energy and desire. It’s sexual healing properties, are also used for men.

Frankincense

A spicy wood aroma, this scent mimics sex hormones and therefore has powerful aphrodisiac properties. It is also known to relieve anxiety and depression. Often depression can reduce libido, so having this scent around should help.

Ginger and cinnamon

Spices which produce a heat when you eat them, often increase vitality and libido. Plus, a small drop of cinnamon on the genitals can induce sexual stimulation.

In every sense lavender is a winner. It reduced anxiety which can lead to performance anxiety and decreases blood pressure. Like rose, it has properties which produce positivity and it excellent for both men and women.

Some people liken patchouli to snuggling in the forest or the scent of the sixties. If you are from that era, it might evoke some strong memories of the free sex days to light your fire! It has a deep sweet earthy scent , which will be more popular for the ladies.

Peppermint

Much like the effects of Lime, providing a lightness in the air, but peppermint is so much better! Pure peppermint is essential, because anything else will have little effect.

Rose
The smell of roses makes a person feel positively, soothed, calm and relaxed. Therefore, they are offered as an aphrodisiac. Men have been bringing women freshly picked roses for centuries and now you know why!

Sandalwood

This is more of a man’s scent and has been proven to work wonders with impotence and anxiety. It is also said to induce sexual urges.

Vanilla

For men and women. It is calming, soothing and relaxing, which removes tension and lowers inhibition.

Vetiver

Is similar to patchouli with a hint of lemon. It has a very strong scent which can produce powerful emotional reactions and has properties which can remove the sense of fear. This is excellent for anyone who has experienced sexual trauma.

Ylang ylang

Is a powerful aphrodisiac. It increases libido, energy, attraction, emotion and reduces anxiety.

A sizzling love life doesn’t just happen, and sometimes you have to work at having better sex. If your sex life is blah and boring, there are ways to spice things up. Here are three ways to improve your sex life and put the pizzazz back into your relationship.

Plan a date night

Some couples find their sex lives are taking a backseat to their careers and family responsibilities. If you’re having trouble finding time for a steamy session of great sex, make a date. Pick out an evening when you can be alone, arrange for childcare if you need it, and plan a night devoted to nothing except pure pleasure!

Since anticipation is part of the fun, smile to yourself as you think about your upcoming “date” with your guy. Set the stage with candles, your favourite romantic music and whatever else helps you to set the mood. Don’t allow the outside world to intrude – this is a special time for just the two of you.

You may feel awkward the first time you try this, or guilty about taking time away from your jobs or the kids. Just remember that you’re putting time into keeping your relationship together, and that’s important to both of you as well as everyone around you.

Don’t be afraid to get naughty

When a couple has been together for a while, it’s easy to slip into the habit of doing the same things over and over. Why not improve your sex life by trying some new tricks? If you’ve had any naughty fantasies, now is the time to turn them into reality—with your honey, of course!

If you’ve been too shy to peek inside a sex shop, maybe now is the time to check one out. See what types of lingerie, sex toys and other items call out to you. If the two of you have never watched a porn film together or tried a flavoured lubricant, maybe now’s the time to expand your sexual horizons!

Explore your fantasies

Have you and your guy shared your own dreams and desires? Maybe the key to greater sex will be bringing some of those fantasies to life! This is also the perfect way to shed your inhibitions and tell each other what really turns you on.

Look for ways to explore your fantasies in real life—without getting into trouble! If you’ve dreamed of having sex in public, pick a dark night when you’re alone together and toss down a blanket in the back yard. If you’re worried about nosy neighbours, how about doing it on the kitchen table or some other “forbidden” spot around the house?

Being in a long, comfortable relationship is no excuse for becoming complacent about your sex life. It’s never to late to try new tricks for better sex! Having greater sex will make both of you much happier.